Teaching Methods

Authentic assessment, cooperative learning, inclusion – discover a vast range of current articles about
teaching methodologies, ideal for all grades. Diversify your teaching strategies by implementing service-
learning projects and integrating technology in your classroom. These resources will help you gain the
experience and expertise you need to become a successful teacher, whether you're a new teacher or have
been teaching for many years.

The difference between learner-centered and curriculum-centered classrooms is philosophical. Philosophy

drives behavior, so when it comes to your teaching style, it is important to have a deep understanding of your
own belief system. Your view of learning, students' roles, and teachers' roles determine the method by which
you teach. Use this article to place yourself on the pedagogical continuum by considering:

• The types of activities you create

• The layout of your classroom
• The way students learn with you
• How you prepare for class
• How to make the most of your style

Pedagogy

Teachers who adhere to learner-centered classrooms are influenced strongly by constructivism.

Constructivism holds that prior knowledge forms the foundation by which new learning occurs (Piaget and
Inhelder, 1969). Because people and their experiences are different, they arrive at school with varying levels
of proficiency. A student is challenged according to his or her individual zone of proximal development
(Vygotsky, 1986). The difference between a student's actual developmental level and his or her potential is
the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Good instruction matches each child's ZPD.

Teachers who adhere to curriculum-centered classrooms are influenced greatly by the standards-based
movement. All students are taught the same body of knowledge. Regardless of variations in developmental
levels, all children are exposed to the same content in the same time period. The objective is to ensure that
there will be no academic gaps in what is taught.

Learner-centered classrooms

Learner-centered classrooms focus primarily on individual students' learning. The teacher's role is to facilitate
growth by utilizing the interests and unique needs of students as a guide for meaningful instruction. Student-
centered classrooms are by no means characterized by a free-for-all.

These classrooms are goal-based. Students' learning is judged by whether they achieve predetermined,
developmentally-oriented objectives. In essence, everyone can earn an A by mastering the material.
Because people learn best when they hear, see, and manipulate variables, the method by which learning
occurs is oftentimes experiential.

Curriculum-centered classrooms

Curriculum-centered classrooms focus essentially on teaching the curriculum. The teacher determines what
ought to be taught, when, how, and in what time frame. The curriculum that must be covered throughout the
year takes precedence. These classes often require strict discipline because children's interests are
considered only after content requirements are established.
In this framework students are compared with one another. Student success is judged in comparison with
how well others do. A fixed standard of achievement is not necessarily in place. In these classrooms grades
resemble the familiar bell curve.

Comparison of the two different classrooms

In order to visualize the two different types of classrooms, think about the structure of each:

Learner-centered Curriculum-centered
Child-centered Teacher-centered
Constructivist-driven Standards-driven
Progressive Traditional
Information-age model Factory model
Criterion-based Norm (bell curve) based
Depth Breadth
Thematic integration Single subjects
Process- and product-oriented Product-oriented
Block scheduling Short time periods
Collaboration Isolated teaching and learning
Experiential knowledge Rote knowledge

Many teachers fall somewhere in the middle of this continuum. They are neither strictly learner-centered nor
only curriculum-centered. Teachers use what works for them based on their fundamental belief structures.

How do you prepare?

The way in which teachers spend their time in and out of class can reveal much about their teaching
philosophies. A learner-centered teacher makes time to collaborate with others and problem solve as
challenges evolve. This teacher spends his or her day researching new ideas and learning key concepts that
students must acquire to gain competence. Evaluation is ongoing and done mostly in the context of students'
learning.

A curriculum-centered teacher works mostly by himself or herself when he or she is teaching or developing
lessons. When teachers do collaborate in team meetings, all involved agree to teach the same lessons.
These assignments usually result in a lot of correcting at the end of the day.

How to work within the current system

If you are basically a curriculum-centered teacher, the system is already set up for you – no worries! If you
are essentially a learner-centered teacher, you need to enlist support for your teaching style. Effective ways
of gaining credibility include the following:

• Initiate collaboration with other educational professionals.

• Locate and share research that documents successful learner-centered classrooms (see References
below).
• Invite fellow teachers to attend conferences and workshops geared toward learner-centered topics.
• Ask colleagues to discuss your philosophy of education (and theirs) so that you both may gain a
clearer understanding of your principles. At that point, it becomes important to do what you say you
 do and make no excuses. Some people talk about running a child-centered classroom but actually
have not broken from the model they were exposed to as students.
• Finally, it is imperative to gain the respect of your students' parents at Back-to-School night, Open
House, conferences, and through regular newsletters.

Standards for Good Teaching

we all have some pretty good ideas about the qualities we feel are important for good teaching. Not
surprising, several agencies and organizations have looked into the characteristics of good teachers. One of
those is the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC).

The INTASC establishes guidelines for preparing, licensing, and certifying educators. Among other things,
they promote 10 standards that should be part of every teacher's classroom practice or personality:

• Principle 1. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the
discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of
subject matter meaningful for students.
• Principle 2. The teacher understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning
opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development (Effective Learning and
How Students Learn).
• Principle 3. The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates
instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners (How Students Learn and Teaching
Special Needs Students).
• Principle 4. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage
students' development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills (Lesson
Methodologies and Problem Solving).
• Principle 5. The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to
create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in
learning, and self-motivation (What Is Cooperative Learning, and What Does It Do? and Motivating
Your Students).
• Principle 6. The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication
techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom (Lesson
Methodologies and Levels of Questions).
• Principal 7. The teacher plans instruction based on knowledge of subject matter, students, the
community, and curriculum goals (Lesson Plans: Using Objectives and The Question of Homework).
• Principle 8. The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to
evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner
(Categories of Evaluation).
• Principle 9. The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her
choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community)
and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
• Principle 10. The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the
larger community to support students' learning and well-being (Special Projects, Special Events).

It's important to point out that your effectiveness as a teacher depends on much more than your knowledge
of one or more subjects. In fact, your success will be driven by characteristics and dynamics that are as
much a part of who you are as they are of your classroom behavior.

Conversations with hundreds of teachers around the country indicate that good teachers are effective
because they assume five interrelated roles:

• You as a person
 • Student orientation
• Task orientation
• Classroom management
• Lifelong learning

You as a Person
The reasons you are a teacher are undoubtedly many. Who you are as a person and how you would like to
share your personality with students are significant factors in why you choose to be a teacher. So, too, will
they be significant in terms of your success in the classroom. My own experience with hundreds of teachers
has taught me that the personality of a teacher is a major and predominant factor in the success of students
within that teacher's influence.

Joy to the World

Good classroom teachers are joyful. They relish in the thrill of discovery and the natural curiosity of students.
They are excited about learning and often transmit that excitement to their students. They are stimulated by
the unknown and are amazed at what can be learned, not just at what is learned.

Students consistently rate teachers high when humor is part of the classroom environment. This humor does
not come from telling lots of jokes, but rather from the good-natured conversations and discussions carried
on with students. Humor helps break down conversational barriers, establishes good rapport, and builds
strong classroom communities.

You should be passionate. Good teachers are good because they not only have a love for children, but they
also have a passion for the subjects they teach. If you're passionate about teaching, your students will know
immediately. If you're less than excited about what you're doing, students will be able to determine that very
rapidly, too. Your passion for teaching must be evident in everything you do.

I Wonder Why …

Effective teachers are inquisitive. They continuously ask questions, looking for new explanations and myriad
new answers. They serve as positive role models for students, helping them ask their own questions for
exploration. They are content with not finding all the answers but rather with developing a classroom
environment in which self-initiated questioning (by both teacher and students) predominates.

Good teachers are also creative. They're willing to explore new dimensions and seek new possibilities —
never sure of what lies around the corner or down the next path. They're willing to experiment and try new
approaches to learning — not because they've been done before but simply because they've never been
tried at all.

Outstanding teachers seek help from others. They talk about new strategies with colleagues, seek input from
administrators and education experts, read lots of educational magazines and periodicals, and access
websites frequently. They don't try to go it alone.

Effective teachers are change-makers. They're not afraid of change and realize that change can be a
positive element in every classroom. If something isn't working, these teachers are eager to strike out into
new territories for exploration. They're never content with status quo; their classrooms are always evolving,
always in a state of transition.
Flexibility

I have interviewed scores of teachers all over the United States, from Maine to California and from Oregon to
Florida — and a lot of places in between. I wanted to get their thoughts and impressions of good teaching
and the characteristics they felt are essential in a quality-based classroom program.

To a person, they all told me the same thing: the number-one characteristic of a good teacher is flexibility or
the ability to roll with the punches and not let the little things get you down.

It might come as no surprise to you, but there's no such thing as an average or typical day in teaching.
Students come and go, clocks and other machines break, parents drop in unexpectedly, administrators have
reports to file, meetings are scheduled at the last minute, you forget your lunch or your car gets a flat tire, the
film you ordered didn't arrive, and a hundred other things can — and often do — go wrong.

However, it's the flexible teacher — the one who doesn't let these inevitable “roadblocks” get in her or his
way — who survives and teaches best in the classroom. Yes, there will be “surprises,” unanticipated and
unplanned events, and glitches along the way. But if you are willing to compromise, bend, and adjust, you
will give yourself an incredible opportunity to succeed.

Secondary Thoughts

“Observations of successful secondary classrooms reveal that the teacher's knowledge of the subject is of
considerably less importance (to students' learning) than her or his energy for teaching the subject.”